当前申请(专利权)人：
SCHULTZ-CREEHAN HOLDINGS, INC. | CREEHAN, KEVIN | SCHULTZ, JEFFREY, PATRICK
原始申请(专利权)人：
SCHULTZ-CREEHAN HOLDINGS, INC. | CREEHAN, KEVIN | SCHULTZ, JEFFREY, PATRICK
当前申请(专利权)人地址：
2200 Kraft Drive,Suite 1475,Blacksburg, VA 24060 US
发明人：
CREEHAN, KEVIN | SCHULTZ, JEFFREY, PATRICK
代理人：
MAYBERRY, MICHELE, L.
摘要：
The present invention relates to tools and methods for disposing, coating, repairing, or otherwise modifying the surface of a metal substrate using frictional heating and compressive/ shear loading of a consumable metal against the substrate. Embodiments of the invention include friction-based fabrication tooling comprising a non-consumable member with a throat and a consumable member disposed in the throat, wherein consumable filler material is capable of being introduced to the throat in a continuous manner during deposition using frictional heating and compressive/shear loading of the filler material onto the substrate. Self- reacting friction stir welding tools are also provided which upper and lower shoulders disposed at a fixed distance from one another and are connected by a fixed split-pin, which allows for the automatic dispensing of varying amounts of filler material into the tooling in response to variations in thickness of a substrate being processed.
权利要求：
CLAIMS
1. A friction-based fabrication tool comprising:
a non-consumable body with a throat;
a screw-type auger disposed in the throat for continuously delivering solid coating material through the throat of the tool body;
one or more means for rotating the tool body at a desired first velocity and for rotating the auger at a desired second velocity; and
wherein the tool body comprises a surface for trapping coating material loaded on the substrate in a volume between the tool body and the substrate and for forming and shearing a surface of a coating on the substrate with frictional heating and shear loading.
2. The tool of claim 1, wherein the tool throat is a hollow cylinder.
3. The tool of claim 1 comprising a sleeve, which is a tubular member disposed within the tool throat and within which the auger is disposed.
4. The tool of claim 1 comprising means for causing translational movement of the tool body relative to the substrate.
5. The tool of claim 1, wherein the tool body comprises a shoulder.
6. The tool of claim 1, wherein the means for rotating the auger and tool body is operably configured for rotation in the same direction.
7. The tool of claim 1, wherein the auger is operably configured for delivering coating material in powder form through the tool body.
8. A friction stir system comprising:
friction stir-based fabrication tooling; and
a fluidized powder delivery system in operable communication therewith;
wherein the powder delivery system is operably configured for continuously delivering a coating material into and through the tooling.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the friction stir-based fabrication tooling comprises: a non-consumable body with a throat;
a screw-type auger disposed in the throat for continuously delivering powder-type coating material through the throat of the tool body; one or more means for rotating the tool body at a desired first velocity and for rotating the auger at desired second velocity; and
a shoulder for trapping and shearing a surface of coating material loaded on the substrate in a volume between the tool body and the substrate.
10. The system of claim 8, comprising means for automatically dispensing varying amounts of filler material into the tooling in response to variations in thickness of a substrate being processed.
11. The system of claim 10, comprising a thickness gauge for determining substrate thickness and a control system for varying the amount of filler material dispensed in response to detection of a pressure above or below a set pressure threshold.
12. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for translating the tooling relative to a substrate in a desired CAD-driven configuration.
13. A friction-based fabrication tool comprising:
a non-consumable body with a throat having an interior cross section shaped to impart normal forces on a feed material disposed therein when rotated; and
feed rollers disposed above the non-consumable body and comprising means for rotating the rollers toward one another such that feed material disposed perpendicularly to the rollers is pulled between the rollers and is delivered continuously through the throat of the tool body during use;
wherein the tool body comprises a surface for trapping coating material loaded on the substrate in a volume between the tool body and the substrate and for forming and shearing a surface of a coating on the substrate with frictional heating and shear loading.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein a cross section of the throat is square and sized to accommodate a complementary shaped and sized rod-type feed material.
15. Self-reacting friction stir welding tooling comprising:
friction fabrication tooling having a non-consumable body with a throat for feeding filler material into a weld joint and upper and lower shoulder surfaces disposed at a fixed distance with their surfaces facing one another; wherein the upper shoulder surface and the lower shoulder surface are capable of trapping filler material loaded into the substrate in a volume between the tool shoulders and are capable joining the substrates with frictional heating and compressive/shear loading.
16. The tool of claim 15, wherein the upper and lower shoulder are connected by a fixed split-pin.
17. The tool of claim 15, wherein the tool throat is a hollow cylinder.
18. The tool of claim 15, further comprising a screw-type auger disposed in the tool throat for continuously delivering powder-type coating material in and through the throat of the tool body.
19. The tool of claim 18 further comprising a sleeve, which is a tubular member disposed within the tool throat and within which the auger is disposed.
20. The tool of claim 15, further comprising one or more means for rotating the tool body at a desired first velocity and for rotating the auger at desired second velocity.
21. The tool of claim 15 comprising means for causing translational movement of the tool body relative to the substrate.
22. A self-reacting friction stir welding system comprising:
friction fabrication tooling having a non-consumable body with a throat for feeding filler material into a weld joint and upper and lower shoulder surfaces disposed at a fixed distance with their surfaces facing one another;
a fluidized powder delivery system in operable communication therewith, wherein the powder delivery system is operably configured for continuously delivering a coating material into and through the tooling.
23. The system of claim 22, wherein the powder delivery system is operably configured for automatically dispensing varying amounts of filler material into the tooling in response to variations in thickness of a substrate being processed.
24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a thickness gauge for determining substrate thickness and a control system for varying the amount of filler material dispensed in response to detection of a pressure above or below a set pressure threshold.
25. The tool of claim 22, wherein the upper and lower shoulder surfaces are connected by a fixed split-pin.
26. The tool of claim 25, wherein the tool throat is a hollow cylinder.
27. The tool of claim 16, further comprising a screw-type auger disposed in the tool throat for continuously delivering powder-type coating material in and through the throat of the tool body.